One time Adam saved Michael
by thatmultifandomfreak
Summary: Midam, pure and unashamed. Unexpectedly long, and I regret nothing. Michael gets trapped in holy fire, surrounded by demons. Will Adam be able to save him? And then what follows I am not ashamed of, i.e. a series of domestic drabbles. Completely unbeta'd, as with all my stories, so yes, mistakes happen, but if I see them after I've posted, I edit the chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Michael stands, trapped and vulnerable, in the circle of holy fire. Adam should be long gone by now. He'd stayed behind to stop the demons, while the hunter had gone on. He knows Adam expects him to come back. But the demons have caught him, and now they dance triumphantly around the circle of fire, crowing in delight. An archangel is something they'd never expected, especially Michael, the general of the heavenly host; and the fact that Michael had just handed himself over, and shown weakness in his feelings towards Adam Milligan, makes them all the more excited. "He's never coming back. You're ours, all ours," one of them hisses at him and he shook his head. "He left you," pipes up a voice from the other side of the circle and Michael shudders, forcing himself to stand straight and proud. He will not show weakness. He has been trained better than that. Adam isn't coming back, he knows that.

The blonde boy stops at the doors of the warehouse, staring back in. There is an odd flickering light inside, he can see that, and his mind can't connect the dots. His brothers had been with him at some point, but he has no idea where they are any more. Or Michael. "Shit!" he snarls under his breath, standing indecisively in the parking lot. Michael, he has to go back. The light, the flickering light, the crows of triumph inside the warehouse; it all makes sense now. "Michael, you _idiot_," he growls, turning and running back inside. The whoops get louder as he moves and he slows down when the light intensifies.

Rounding the corner, Adam sees the whole scene. There is a circle of flames tall enough that he can barely see Michael's face. The circle isn't wide; barely as wide as the archangel's armspan and, every time Michael moves, Adam can see the small twitches in his face that betray his shock at how close the flames are. The demons have taken the bodies of children, their faces twisted grotesquely, and Adam shudders at what he knows he has to do. He knows the children are still inside their bodies, and to kill them will take a lot more strength than killing adults. But to save Michael, he'll do it. The demons dance around the circle, hissing things at Michael that Adam can't hear, and occasionally one will spring forwards and lash at him with a knife, which forces the archangel to step away, too near to the fire for comfort. Adam sucks a sharp breath in when one of the knives finds purchase against Michael's chest, flinching at the sound the archangel makes. Michael stays standing though, his chin tilted up defiantly, though blood is already soaking through his shirt. Adam needs to get him out of the fire.

The blonde dislodges a stone as he moves into the shadows further into the room, and the demons all stare in his direction. Michael stiffens, his grace sensing Adam in the room, and his eyes narrow. Adam isn't supposed to be there, he should be gone, safe with Sam, Dean and Michael's brother. Not risking his life in a room full of demons. He tries to think of something to distract the demons from Adam, and spits a curse at them. It works. They all whip around to stare at him, their eyes narrowing, and Adam is suddenly terrified for Michael; with good reason. The demons all pounce at once, throwing whatever they can at Michael. Not one of them have a knife powerful enough to kill the archangel, but the knives they do have are enough to rip through flesh and cause pain, and that's what they do. Michael tries to stay standing through the attack, but there is only so much abuse his vessel can take before his legs fold underneath him. He falls with a cry that paralyses Adam, and tears prick at the corner of his eyes.

The minute the archangel is on the floor, the demons spring away and go back to circling him and spitting insults, taunts. If Michael could just get out of the circle, his grace could heal him, but he can't. He lies in a crumpled heap, a pool of blood forming under him. His head barely lifts when he hears Adam's voice, defeated and convinced it's an illusion.

Adam bites the inside of his cheek as he steps out of the shadows, shouting swear words at the demons, braced with a knife in one hand and salt in the other. They all turn on him in one movement and he gulps. "Fuck." Michael doesn't move and for a moment Adam is terrified, before he reminds himself that if they had killed the archangel, he would definitely know. He wants nothing more than to just put the fire out and cradle Michael until he's healed but he can't. He has a job to do. "Come and get me, then!" he yells at them, ready for a fight. And a second later, that's exactly what the demons do. With shrieks of joy they fly at him and he dodges about six different blades. If he can get to the holy fire... Adam throws salt at the nearest demon and it vanishes with a howl. "Okay. Uh. Good." He lunges with the knife, swinging it and managing to kill two demons. Two down, eight to go. Michael by this time is on his feet again, still bleeding, his eyes fixed on Adam. The fight is moving closer, Adam pushing the demons back all the time, and the archangel yells in frustration, pacing the short distance he can inside the circle. All wants to do is kill every single one of the demons before they can hurt Adam, and he _can't_.

Adam forces two more demons into the flames and they shriek as they burn. The other demons back off for a moment, regroup, and he takes the opportunity to start kicking dirt over the circle, putting the flames out as quickly as he can before-. A demon leaps on him, its teeth inches from his throat and he yelps in shock as its knife buries itself in his shoulder. He throws salt blindly over his shoulder and feels the weight on his back vanish. Grimacing, he pulls the knife out of his shoulder and spins around, throwing his own knife into another demon's chest. It staggers, falling against one more and they both stumble into the flames. Adam pushes dirt into the fire again, stamping it down and almost sobbing with frustration. The gap is so nearly wide enough for Michael. "Come on, come _on_," he yells, before he is dragged away from the circle. One demon is on his back, another circling him as he struggles. The other leaps forwards suddenly, slashing its knife across Adam's stomach, and Michael mirrors the boy's shriek. The blonde pulls another blade out of his belt, stabbing behind him until he hears a howl and one demon dies. He squares up to the other one, panting, his shirt already saturated with blood. "Let's dance," he hisses, and the demon grins cruelly.

The other two of them back away to watch the fight, and Adam readjusts his grip on the knife. Michael can do nothing but watch from the circle of fire, cursing in every language under the sun. Adam flashes him a quick grin and Michael shakes his head. "Don't you dare die," he mouths and Adam leaps forwards, plunging the knife deep into the demon's chest and twisting it. The last two howl and run away, and Adam collapses to the ground. He reaches out, throwing more earth on the fire feebly, and the last thing he sees is Michael stepping out of the ring and kneeling next to him with a gentle smile. Then the archangel touches two fingers to his forehead and everything goes black.


	2. Chapter 2

When Adam comes to, he is curled up on a bed with no idea how he got there. He opens his eyes groggily, and the face of a worried archangel comes into focus. Michael thought he hadn't got to Adam in time; that the boy would die before his grace could heal him. He hasn't moved from the seat next to Adam's bed since they got back, almost two days ago. "Michael?" Adam croaks, his voice ragged. He tries to swallow, his mouth dry, and Michael silently hands him a glass of water, which he drains. He drops the empty glass on the bed in front of him and risks a guilty look up at the archangel. Michael's face is stony as he stares at Adam. "You shouldn't have come back."

Adam tilts his chin up as defiantly as he can considering that he is in bed and he's just woken up, and he's pretty sure that any second now his stomach is going to growl as loud as is humanly possible. "I had to. I couldn't leave you." His blunt truthful words startle Michael slightly. Whatever the archangel was expecting, it wasn't that. "I told you to." Adam tilts his head to the side. "Yeah, but, see, I think that was stupid. I wasn't going to listen, come on." In an instant, Michael is leaning over him, their faces inches apart, his hands braced either side of Adam as he stares at him. The boy is slightly startled, his breathing hitching as he holds Michael's eyes for as long as he can before he has to look away. "You could have died," Michael growls, his eyes flashing. "You could have died and there would have been _nothing_ I could do to save you. Have you ever watched someone you love _die_?" He stiffens the minute the words are out of his mouth, and backs away abruptly.

Adam stares at him, leaning forwards as Michael moves away. "Say that again." Michael shakes his head, trapped. He doesn't want to leave, but to stay means facing more awkward questions that Michael shouldn't, _can't_ answer. Human emotions are supposed to be beneath an angel, let alone an _archangel_. "Michael. You know I'm not going to stop." Adam's voice breaks into his thoughts and his eyes snap back to the blond. Adam sits in the bed, one eyebrow raised, a small smirk ghosting over his face. Michael opens his mouth to speak, but his voice dries up, and the usually composed archangel stammers out a broken sentence. "I- well, you... I think- _died_." Adam's mouth twitches and he laughs softly. Michael gives him a dark look and he smothers his laughter. "Sorry, I'm sorry. Try again, I promise I won't laugh." Michael shakes his head and turns away, and the boy grabs one of his hands. "Michael." He _was_ convinced that it was a joke, but now he's not so sure. "You _were_ joking, right?" The archangel doesn't meet his eyes and he covers his mouth. "Fuck." Michael flinches at the curse and he apologises distractedly. This is Michael, literally _the_ archangel, and sure Adam's dated guys before but wow, this is completely different.

Michael lets the all too human feelings run through him, surrendering to them. "Love?" he says quietly, tasting the unfamiliar word in his mouth. "I didn't think I was capable of _love_." Adam's eyes shine as he watches Michael, leaning forward unconsciously. The archangel sits on the bed next to him, avoiding his eyes and staring determinedly at his hands. Adam turns his chin to face him, places cool hands either side of Michael's burning face. "Say it."

"Love," repeats Michael obediently. "I think- I think I love you." Dimly he wonders what his Father would think of him, the good son, and he whispers a prayer for forgiveness; until Adam cuts his words off with a tentative kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

"Michael, it's ice cream! Don't be pathetic, try it." Michael stares suspiciously at the bowl between them and Adam reaches over to cup his cheek softly. "Try it. Please?" he asks again, quietly, giving the brunette his best puppy eyes. He knows the archangel can't refuse him when he asks like that, and he's right. Michael huffs out an indignant breath, starting to say something about how he doesn't need to eat, when Adam puts his hand over his mouth. "I know you don't have to eat, but you might enjoy it. Gabriel does," the archangel opens his mouth to speak again and Adam hurries on, "and even if you aren't Gabe, you could try." Michael sits motionless until Adam drops his hand, then says, very softly, "You first. You need it more than I do." It's true, Adam is thin enough that his collarbones are clearly visible; and as tough as Adam is, Michael worries about him. Adam rolls his eyes and picks a strawberry off the top, putting it in his mouth and chewing. "Happy?" Michael nods slowly as Adam passes him one spoon and takes the other for himself. "One spoonful, Michael. For me?" He can't believe he's pleading with a ridiculously stubborn archangel to eat some ice cream, but it seems to work, when Michael takes a small amount of ice cream on the spoon and closes his lips around it. It leaves a sprinkle on his lower lip as he puts the spoon back in the bowl, and Adam reaches out to brush it away. He smiles slightly when Michael catches his hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Take it somewhere else!" a male voice yells and Michael flies out of his seat, immediately standing over the teenager who had spoken. Adam flinches, sitting still for a moment before the reality of the situation hits him and he scrambles out of his own seat. "Michael, no, come on. Sit down again." The owner of the shop, a sweet woman in her mid-60s gives Adam an apologetic look and he shrugs. Michael's eyes are burning into the teenager, who is staring up at him defiantly, and his hands are curled at his sides. Adam grabs the archangel's shoulders and shoves the kid out of the way. Michael's eyes follow the teenager before they go back to Adam. Adam is about to speak when the kid starts to taunt Michael again; the archangel turns away from Adam and grabs the front of the grubby white t-shirt, raising the boy off the floor. "Get out," he spits flatly, and the boy nods, his feet scrabbling to reach the floor. "Michael!" Adam yells, snapping the archangel's attention back to him, and he drops the teenager, who promptly runs out of the door, terrified. Michael turns back to face Adam, and the smaller boy stands toe to toe with him. "Thank you for not... y'know, smiting on sight." Michael's stony expression softens and he gently holds Adam's chin. "It feels... different not to do that. I suppose the 'gods' were right in what they said to Gabriel. Archangels are trained to kill first." The couple sitting at the counter near them turn around and openly stare at Michael, whispering to each other, until Adam gives them a withering look and they turn away sheepishly. "You can change, Michael. You already have. Look at you, look how different you are to when you were using me as a vessel. I know what you used to be like. You _did_ smite first, you _always_ considered human emotions to be below you. And now look at you." He pinched Michael's nose gently. "We should leave. I'll buy more ice cream on the way home."


	4. Chapter 4

"Michael?" Adam's voice is small when he speaks into the darkness of the bedroom. His head is on Michael's chest, breathing in the smell that is so unlike anything he's ever smelt before, and he plays with the archangel's fingers. He feels rather than hears Michael's hum of response and ploughs on before he loses his nerve. "What was it like? Watching me fight when you were in the holy fire, I mean." Michael stiffens, and Adam lifts his head tentatively. The archangel sits up when Adam is no longer leaning on him, tucking his knees up and looping his arms around them. "It's... one of the worst feelings for an angel. How would you feel if you had to watch that? The only person I have loved or will ever love at the mercy of _demons_?" He spits the last word violently, and Adam bites his lower lip. "We don't cope well with that. Once we choose someone, anything that harms them will suffer. _That's_ why it was something I never want to repeat." Adam stares at him in silence and he turns his head slowly to face him, his face blank.

"Choose?" Adam whispers finally, scooting forwards until he's in front of Michael, and turning to face him. His legs wrap around Michael's waist loosely, not wanting to spook the archangel. "Choose," Michael repeats flatly and the hunter rolls his eyes. "Choose for what?" he snaps at Michael, irritated by how obtuse the brunette is being. Michael's eyes burn into Adam's. "Choose... for life." The simple statement makes Adam stop short, his eyes widening. "What, as in... like, a mate, or...?" Michael nods slowly, dropping his gaze. "Angels can go their whole life without finding their 'soulmate', the one they will choose to spend the rest of their lives with, but if they find them, they will not mate with anyone else. And most angels choose not to until they are sure that it is the right person." He falls silent again, Adam sits still, trying to absorb the new information. "That's... wow, Michael. Uh. So, you chose me? I'm your...soulmate?" Michael nods again, still refusing to meet Adam's eyes. "It's unusual, but not unheard of, for an angel to choose a human. Especially one residing on earth." The blond sits silently for a moment, then shifts his position until he is sitting in front of Michael, with the archangel's legs either side of him, leaning back against his chest. "So you, literally the most important archangel ever, chose me. Okay, um." He doesn't know how to say what he wants to say without sounding stupid. "I- Michael, I love you." He knows he's said it before, as has Michael, but this time is so much more real, sitting in the darkness and feeling the archangel's breathing. "And I guess... I guess I chose you too." That sounds stupider than Adam intended and he wrinkles his nose. He doesn't want Michael to feel awkward, though he thinks that bridge has been crossed. Michael's arms slowly circle Adam and he sighs. "I wish I could understand feelings. I mean, I can grasp some of them, but the complex ones... I don't know. It's odd."

Adam twists around in Michael's loose embrace, about to say something, when his eyes catch the slight glowing of Michael's. Michael's eyes never stop glowing, just a little, as if his grace is barely tempered by his vessel, and it intrigues Adam. He moves again, kneeling in front of Michael and staring deeply into his eyes, as if trying to see his grace. Michael looks slightly taken aback, but stays still until Adam moves back again and settles back down against his chest. He asks Adam why his eyes were so interesting, and Adam mumbles that "They glow. All the time." The boy rolls over, pushes Michael down so that he's lying, and lies on his side next to the brunette, his eyes fixed on the glowing ones of the archangel. Michael turns over to face him, his face softening into a smile, and drapes one arm over Adam's waist. "Have I cleared up anything of angels' customs for you?" Adam nods, snuggling closer to him, and yawns widely. "Night..." He is asleep almost instantly, and Michael doesn't move all night, watching his dreams to make sure nothing upsets him.


	5. Chapter 5

He is only gone for an hour at the most. It's nearly 3am when he leaves, Castiel's warning echoing in his mind. Adam is sleeping peacefully and he doesn't think that will change before he gets back. With a soft kiss to the boy's forehead, he disappears from the room, reappearing minutes later at the edge of a group of young angels. They stand over something on the ground and Michael's heart sinks. He brought the blade, as Castiel asked, and now he can see why. Gradually, the conversation trails off as the angels catch sight of him, and all nod respectfully at him. The figure on the ground remains motionless, and as the group parts, Michael sees the wings burnt onto the ground either side of the small angel. Probably a relatively young one. Certainly not one who deserved to die.

"Who did this?" They all point silently to an angel, a few inches taller than Michael, who folds his arms defiantly, still holding the bloodied blade. Michael steps forward, tilting his chin up fractionally to meet the angels eyes, and his wings spread either side of him, shadowy; at least twice the size of those of the angel on the ground. Most of the younger angels stare open mouthed, their own wings twitching slightly. The angel in front of Michael cowers a little as the archangel's eyes flash, and holds the blade up. Not that he gets a chance to use it. Michael's hand touches the young angel's forehead and the angel immediately starts to burn.

He burns. The other angels step back, terrified, and Michael grimaces. This isn't how he wants their first experience of meeting an archangel to go, but he knows he has to do it. When the body falls to the floor, Michael retrieves the blade, nods at the angels, and disappears.

The clock in the motel room reads 4am when he reappears. The first thing he hears is a stifled sobbing coming from the bed. Adam lies curled in a ball, his face pressed into his knees. Even as Michael watches, his whole body starts to shudder and the whimpers get louder. "Michael, no, please no," Adam sobs, before his words cut off into indistinguishable weeping. Michael stands rooted to the spot for a moment before he flies to the bed, kneeling next to it and touching Adam's cheek gently. He considers using his grace on the boy to dispel the dream, when Adam jolts awake, sitting up suddenly. "Michael?" Michael shifts to sit on the bed next to Adam, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy and pulling him back against his chest. "I'm here," he murmurs gently. Adam leans back against him, wiping tears from his cheeks. "Did you go somewhere?" he asks, noting Michael's jacket and shoes with slight surprise. He tends to be a light sleeper and the fact that Michael went out and came back without him noticing is odd. Then again Michael _is_ an archangel. Adam supposes that if he doesn't want to be noticed, he won't be. Michael nods, rocking Adam gently, and the blond immediately asks why, tensing. "An angel died a few towns away. Don't worry," he adds as Adam makes to speak, "the angel who killed him is dead." Adam nods in satisfaction and turns to kiss Michael quickly. The archangel grins and pulls the covers over Adam. "It's 4:15. Go to sleep again. I'll guard your dreams." He rocks Adam again, lulling the boy to sleep with whispered Enochian phrases that somehow manage to make their way into Adam's dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

_The first thing he notices is the blood. It's everywhere, soaking his clothes, dripping from his blond hair. He can't see where it's coming from, and dimly in the recesses of his mind he _**_knows_**_ it's a dream, nothing but a dream, but it's so real. He sees ghouls, reapers, demons, all crowded around him, hears them cackling..._

"Mom!" Adam cries, tossing and turning in bed. But the voice that soothes him, the hands that comb through his hair, they aren't Kate's, and he remembers. Kate's dead. He should be too. She's in Heaven, Michael's seen her. He knows that she's happy. He curls up to Michael miserably, feeling more alone than ever.

_The first thing he notices is the heat. The heat from the flames of the Pit, licking up towards the Cage, where he is suspended with what he thinks must be the worst combination of people to be contained in one place. Michael and Lucifer don't stop fighting, Sam and Adam just curl in opposite corners, too exhausted to even try and stop the two archangels. Not that it would work anyway. The screams of tortured souls echo around them - he hears his mother's shriek and frowns. This isn't right, Kate went to Heaven. That one detail throws him off slightly, but soon even Kate's screams start to cut into him and he retaliates with his own yells, clawing at his hair._

"Michael! Michael, please!" Adam shrieks, thrashing. Michael looks up from where he is _trying_ to figure out the hunter's iPod, and in an instant is standing next to Adam. He frames the boy's face in his hands, pushes his hair off his damp forehead, whispers to him in English, Enochian, Latin, until Adam's eyes fly open and he launches himself at Michael. The archangel catches him easily, rocking him as Adam's legs wrap tightly around his waist like a child, arms round his neck, and Adam just cries and cries. Michael's whispers never stop, gentle endearments as he kisses Adam's shoulder. He doesn't even realise that Adam cried out for him, not Kate.

Adam eventually cries himself to sleep, refusing to let go of Michael, and it breaks the archangel's heart to see the boy so destroyed, Adam, who has been through so much. He's never seen Adam this way and it hurts him because he knows that the boy is usually so strong. All he can do is lie down with Adam, still holding onto him. The peace lasts a few hours before Adam is once again screaming for Michael, and the brunette wakes him with some difficulty. Michael holds him until he goes back to sleep, his whispered words soothing the boy. Every time Adam wakes during the long night, crying out for Michael, he is right there, murmuring whatever he can think of to quiet him again until he sleeps. After the third time, Adam asks him why he bothers to stay, and Michael realises that he will never leave Adam. As long as he is needed, he will not leave him; and it is painfully obvious that Adam needs him right now, more than ever, no matter how tough he tries to act. Night is Adam's weakness, the thing that reduces him to a complete wreck, and Michael has to be there for him.

_"Father, I came for advice." Michael doesn't dare to look up at his Father, kneeling in front of him, afraid of what he will see. He is unsure whether God will accept that he has bonded with Adam Milligan, but knows that he has no secrets from him. Not here. He feels a gentle hand on the top of his head and immediately relief spreads through him as his Father speaks. He tells his eldest son to be there for Adam for as long as he is needed, because there is no way to help a soul like Adam's - broken, damaged, but still so pure and bright - other than to love him until his scars are healed, no matter how long it takes; but Michael has eternity and he would stay with Adam for that long. He stays in Heaven for a few days, 'recharging his batteries' as Adam would put it - the thought of the human makes him smile immediately - and reacquainting himself with the angels who were the closest things to friends he had, hearing their news and avoiding the subject of his own. He has forgotten how peaceful and slow-paced life in Heaven is._

On the first night, Adam manages to tear himself out of his nightmares with ugly sobs that rip out of his throat and wrack his body. He screams for Michael, Kate, even Sam and Dean, but no one comes. _Michael has left for good._ The single thought makes his stomach start rolling and he barely makes it to the bathroom.

On the second night, Adam doesn't sleep at all. He stays sitting in the same position, only moving for water, terrified of what sleep will bring. He stays up that night, and the night afterwards, sitting in the dark, mouthing wordlessly; prayers, songs, curses, random facts his mind picked up God knows where - anything to distract him.

On the fourth night, around 9pm, to be exact, Adam is sitting in exactly the same place, eyes fixed on the wall, listening to the couple next door screaming at each other again. He feels a small breeze whisper over the back of his neck, but doesn't bother to turn around. If it's a demon, let it come. He will welcome death. Michael isn't here to save him now.

Michael is immediately struck by how still Adam is. He moves round into Adam's eyeline, trying to get him to look at him, but it doesn't work. He whispers Adam's name softly, stares at the young hunter. Adam has changed in the last four days, more than Michael imagined. The blond hair is dull; dark shadows around the eyes that seem to have grown in his face; his cheeks are thin, almost as thin as when Michael dragged him out of the Cage, and pale, deathly pale. He sees the note he left for Adam still lying on the table next to the bed, and knows that Adam hasn't opened it. "Adam?" Michael kneels in front of him, grabbing his hand, and it is so cold that for one moment Michael is convinced that Adam is dead and he feels his heart sink. Then Adam mouths something Michael can't hear, his throat too dry to get the words out, and gestures towards his bag. Michael disappears for one second, reappearing with a bottle of water that Adam finishes in one breath. He sits, holding his breath, waiting for Adam to speak.

"I thought you left me." Those five broken words completely decimate Michael's stony exterior. No matter how much he pretends, he loves Adam too much to leave him, and the fact that Adam thinks he would hurts him more than he thinks he can bear. He grabs Adam and pulls him into a hug until the boy is protesting that even if Michael doesn't need to breathe, he does. Lifting him off the ground is a little too easy for Michael's liking, and he can feel Adam's vertebrae against his hands when he rubs the youngest Winchester's back soothingly, whispering that he will never, _never_ leave Adam. The boy feels his eyes prickling but he's a Milligan, damnit - not a Winchester, no matter what anyone says - and he's not going to let himself cry, so he just buries his face in Michael's shoulder, lifting his legs to wrap them around his waist, arms around his neck again. He's never felt younger than he does right now, clinging to the archangel like a child, ignoring the growling in his stomach. He won't let go, and ten minutes later sees Michael sitting on the bed with Adam still holding onto him, feeding him spoonfuls of soup that he had to create from thin air because Adam wouldn't leave the room. Wouldn't let go of him long enough to leave. Adam gave into his tears and started to sob the second he smelled Michael; his smell is so familiar and yet so otherworldly. He accepts the food from Michael tentatively, but the archangel promises that he will never leave him again, and he trusts him.


	7. Chapter 7

_Michael knows everything about Adam. He knows which movies make the teenager cry, which ones make him feel Christmassy, which ones he can quote off by heart. He knows his favourite music, which songs he sings along to no matter where he is, which songs remind him of Kate. He knows that Adam hates rock music with a passion, something to do with John and Dean's love for it, that Adam prefers classical or pop music. He knows that sometimes Adam cries for his mother in the middle of a nightmare, but that it is becoming more common for him to call out for Michael. He knows that Adam's favourite colour is blue, pale blue, the colour of his eyes, in Michael's opinion; the piece of music that makes him sleep is Clair de Lune; the film he has watched every Christmas since he was 10 was The Snowman. Michael knows all of this, and more, and he loves Adam all the more for it. For _**_letting _**_him know._

_Which film makes him cry? _Michael pads silently into the living room of Bobby's house, where he and Adam are staying. Adam's accounts have all been frozen, so they are staying with Bobby until they can make some honest money. He sees the blond curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, sniffing occasionally. "Adam?" he whispers softly, moving swiftly to kneel in front of Adam, who jumps when the archangel appears in front of him. He wipes the boy's cheeks carefully, frowning. "Why are you crying?" Adam points to the TV, his cheeks scarlet with embarrassment, where a film Michael doesn't recognise is playing. "What is it?" Adam rolls his eyes and tugs Michael onto the couch next to him. "Forrest Gump. Shh." He leans against Michael, tears starting to roll down his cheeks again, and Michael wraps him in a gentle hug.

_Which film makes him feel Christmassy? _It's December 22nd, and Dean and Sam are out on a job with Castiel and Gabriel. Michael and Adam have opted to stay behind. Well, Michael has. Adam had no choice according to his older brothers. They don't want the nineteen year old getting into hunting yet; they want him to stay safe, and single, preferably, in the way older brothers always do. They have no idea that he is already hunting, or that he and Michael are together. Adam has convinced Michael to sit with him and watch a movie. "Michael, Elf is a great Christmas movie. Don't complain, just shut up and watch it." He sweetens his words with a kiss, and Michael sighs, nodding.

_Which film can he quote off by heart?_ The graveyard is pitch black, and the supposedly 'scary' graves make Dean snort with laughter until Adam throws a cushion at him and tells him to shut up. "Harry Potter is good, don't be an ass." Sam rolls his eyes and cuffs the eldest Winchester around the head. "You heard him." Dean chuckles once more and Adam throws another cushion at him, using Michael's arm around his shoulders - he's given up trying to hide their relationship from his and Michael's completely oblivious brothers - as a headrest. They watch in silence for a while, until Voldemort appears and it is Michael's turn to snort with laughter. Adam gives him a look and he explains through his laughter that the 'man who looks like a snake' is nothing compared to Lucifer. Sam leans over and high-fives him while Adam buries his face in the archangel's shoulder, slapping his arm gently, trying to hide his own grin. "Shh. Movie." In between the snarky comments, no one notices Adam mouthing most of the lines to himself.

_Which song does he always sing along to?_ They're in a cafe when it starts playing. Adam and Sam immediately grin, and Dean rolls his eyes. "Are you fucking _kidding_, guys?" he asks incredulously, and Sam flicks a fry at him. "Shut up. You still listen to AC/DC." Their bickering is about to turn into a full-scale bitchfest, when Adam starts to sing along. Quietly but actually in tune. Dean and Sam stare at each other in surprise, then at Adam, and their brother shrugs nonchalantly. "Mom taught me." Michael and Castiel, who have been silent for the duration of the meal, glance at each other, an unspoken communication. Castiel smiles slightly, just a small twitch of his lips at the pride in Michael's eyes, and Adam's hand slips into Michael's under the table.

_Which song reminds him of Kate? _The radio starts playing a song, something Michael doesn't know, but he sees Adam stiffen from where he's picking up empty bullet shells. "Adam?" he asks carefully, worried about how the boy will react. He knows from experience that a lot of things remind Adam of Kate, that the boy still misses her, no matter how much he protests. "'M fine, Michael. This was mine and Mom's song. We always sang it, whenever it came on." His voice breaks towards the end of the sentence and the archangel bites his lower lip, moving silently over to where Adam is crouched on the floor and kneeling next to him. Adam wraps his arms around Michael, leaning into him, until they end up sitting where they are, in the middle of the room. He starts to sing, softly at first, and finds that he remembers every word. Despite the tears falling down his face, he still sings, and Michael listens in silence, rocking him. "_Here comes the sun._"


	8. Chapter 8

_"We should go out one day." Michael stares at Adam in slight consternation, one eyebrow lifting minutely. "Why would we do that? The last time we went out, I almost killed a teenager." Adam nods, one corner of his mouth quirking up. "I know. Maybe we should try again. It'll be fun, Michael." He tests his influence on the archangel, cupping his cheek with one hand. "Please?" Michael's eyes waver and he sighs. "Very well." He knows this may end up being a bad idea, but he can't disappoint Adam._

Finally, Adam has managed to drag Michael to a bar. He's not even sure how, but he did it. The archangel looks hideously uncomfortable, being chatted up by a petite blonde girl, and Adam snorts with laughter from across the bar. Michael gives him a hideous look, hearing his thoughts, rather than his actual laughter, and Adam immediately schools his face into pity. He shrugs, gesturing to the barman, and mouths, 'I'm trying to hurry'. Michael scowls and turns back to the blonde girl, giving her a charming smile, and Adam can practically _see_ the cloud of lust around her. He doesn't blame her; coaxing Michael into a different outfit took a lot of effort, but it was _definitely_ worth it. She leans over to whisper something in Michael's ear and suddenly Adam is worried. What if he isn't Michael's soulmate after all? What if she is? What if someone else in the room is? What if- And then there are someone else's hands on his hips and someone else is whispering softly in his own ear, and his whole body immediately stiffens. Not Michael. It's not Michael, but he can't see who it is, and he's had just a _little_ too much to drink, and the last one tasted bitter _anyway_ and he's not entirely sure why, and he can't even see his boyfriend anymore... so he surrenders, letting the stranger pull him onto the dance floor.

Michael looks away from Adam for three minutes maximum to try to get away from the girl. Even her hair is too artificially blonde, too puffed up, nothing like Adam's hair. "Adam," he whispers, searching for the hunter. He isn't where he was last time Michael looked. The blonde girl's hand slides onto his thigh and he stiffens, staring blankly at her. Her thoughts are filled with indecent images and he almost falls off his chair. "I have to..." Michael doesn't even bother to finish his sentence, disappearing into the crowd in search of Adam. There are too many people in the club, and he hasn't been drinking enough to miss the deeds going on between them. It startles him, seeing so much in one place, but he has to find Adam. He stops in the middle of the dance floor, his Grace searching for Adam, until he finds him. And when he does, everything falls from under him.

Adam's eyes snap open when he hears the light above him shatter. The guy behind him immediately jumps away from the shower of glass, leaving Adam underneath the falling shrapnel. The hunter stands motionless until he feels someone pull him away and cover him with their body, and he stares up at the furious archangel towering over him. "Michael, wait-" Michael silences him with a glare, stalking towards the other man. By this time, the dance floor has completely cleared, leaving Adam, Michael, and the guy who, Adam now realises, spiked his drink. "Michael, don't." The brunette fixes him with a dangerous glare and his voice dries up in his throat. _If he kills that man..._ Adam shakes his head sharply and grabs Michael's arm. "I said _don't_." Michael growls at him, a curse in Enochian, and Adam steps back, suddenly terrified. He forgets how otherworldly the archangel is, how _dangerous_, until moments like these. The archangel looks immediately contrite - until a punch lands on his jaw and it jolts out of place with a sickening crack. Adam cries out, reaching for Michael. The brunette man snarls at the black-haired man who had been dancing with Adam, and his jaw snaps back into place with another crack that makes Adam flinch.

Michael is furious enough that he thinks he could wipe out the entire room if he wanted to. The other man stares at him as his jaw realigns itself, his Grace focusing on that spot until it has healed. Then he steps forward, and the room fills with dazzling light. Vaguely, he sees Adam throw his arm over his eyes, and the people around him follow suit even as the light fades again, as quickly as it flared. "What did you put in his drink?" he spits out, barely able to keep himself in his vessel, furious. "N-nothin' bad, I swear," comes a stammered reply, and Michael pulls Adam towards him, holding him up as the blond starts to sway dangerously. Adam's vision is blurring at the edges, and Michael's voice echoes, distorting, wobbling. He tries to speak but his tongue is too big and besides, his lips won't move. He clings to the archangel, pretty sure that if he lets go, he _will _fall, and Michael thankfully holds him steady.

Michael's eyes narrow dangerously at the other man. It would be so easy to just _reach_ out and burn him, but he doesn't. He needs to focus on Adam. "If you touch him again, I will kill you." It's a flat warning, no hint of a joke, and the black-haired man nods quickly and stumbles away. The people in the club all stare at him, some of the girls blush and wish that it were them in Adam's place, and Michael screws his nose up at the desperation radiating off them. He wraps one arm around Adam's shoulders and leads him away gently. Adam manages to fall over his feet at least twice on the way to the door, and Michael picks him up each time. He knows he should be furious with Adam, but when they are outside, cool air hitting his face, and the boy's arms creep around his neck, he can't bring himself to be. "Sorry," Adam whispers, slurring slightly, and Michael just presses a kiss to his temple before they both disappear.


	9. Chapter 9

The flutter of wings stirs the air around the two of them, curled up on the couch together, and Adam sleepily lifts his head from the archangel's chest. Sam, Dean and Castiel just left, so he knows it's not them, and Michael is with him. His heart stops when his eyes land on Raphael. "Hello, Adam." The archangel spits out his name like a curse, and Adam sits up immediately, on his guard. "What do you want?" Raphael moves forwards slowly, a dangerous smirk on his face. "Why is one human so special?" Adam sees the blade in the archangel's hand and his eyes narrow. He stands up warily, sliding out from under Michael's protective arm and turning to face Raphael. Michael is already tense; he sensed Raphael from the moment he arrived in the room. Adam steps forwards, ignoring Michael's warning. "You here to kill me?" Raphael holds his hand out, inches from Adam's forehead, and nods. Adam backs away slightly and Raphael moves forwards. He knows it was going to happen sometime, he'd bonded with _Michael_, for fuck's sake; but why did it have to be now? Raphael's hand is inches from Adam when the archangel is knocked sideways by something. Not something, someone. Michael stands in front of Adam protectively, his wings spreading. Huge, white, about six of them, and very, _very_ real.

Michael holds another angel blade in his hand, similar to Raphael's, and he is practically _growling_ at the other archangel. The air around them crackles with electricity and Adam holds his breath. Michael moves forwards a few steps, and this time it's Raphael's turn to back away, until he is cornered. Or so Michael thinks. He is knocked off balance by a huge bolt of lightning, and literally thrown into the wall on the other side of the room. In the next second, Raphael is standing over him, one blade at his throat, the other at his heart. "You would kill your own brother for a runt? A mud monkey?" Michael is about to reply when Adam attacks Raphael. Literally. He jumps on the archangel, wrapping his arms around his neck from behind and squeezing. It doesn't bother Raphael, obviously, but something cutting off his air supply is annoying; like a mosquito. The archangel reaches behind him and grabs Adam bodily by the back of his neck, throwing him over his head and across the room. It's lucky for Adam that he hits the thick curtains either side of the window. He crumples to the floor, blood starting to trickle from his nose from where he hit it on the window frame. Broken, but Michael can fix it. If neither of them die first.

Michael thrashes under Raphael's weight, his chin tilting up slightly when Raphael lays the blade across his neck and presses gently. Not enough to kill him, but a thin line appears across his throat and blood starts to bead up. But then Adam starts to talk.

"Why? Why is one human worth killing the leader of the fucking Heavenly Host? God's eldest son, Raphael. I'm not, am I? I'm not worth his life. Not worth one drop of his blood. You know as well as I do what your Father will do to you if you kill Michael." As he speaks, Adam edges closer and closer to the blade Raphael dropped last time he jumped on him. Michael shakes his head with a small noise when the blade presses further. Raphael just laughs at Adam; a laugh full of hatred, fury, and a hint of fear. Raphael does know what his Father will do to him for killing Michael. But he is willing to sacrifice everything, his brother's life, his own life, in his attempts to destroy the Winchester bloodline. Michael's hands go to try and push Raphael's away from his throat, Adam still trying to plead with Raphael - but the archangel is too set in his decision to kill both of them, if he needs to. He lifts the blade off Michael's throat, and it is about to pierce his heart, when the blond boy flies at him and knocks him very slightly off balance. Raphael misses, his blade stabbing into the floor next to Michael's head. Adam doesn't miss; _his_ blade goes through Raphael's throat. "Don't you _ever _touch Michael."

When he's sure Raphael's dead, Adam lets go of the blade, and the archangel falls. The hunter stands for a moment, trembling, before his legs fold under him and he collapses in front of Michael, who is sitting by this time. Adam crawls into his lap, hugging him tightly enough that he hisses with pain from the small wounds Raphael managed to inflict. The blond whispers an apology and loosens his arms very slightly. "No-one hurts you. Not while I'm breathing." Michael worries because that sounds a lot like a challenge, and Adam's death is something he could never watch. Adam peppers tiny kisses over Michael's face and he knows he can't tell the boy off, because he did save his life. He focuses his Grace into his injuries until they are gone, and the two of them stay exactly where they are. Just Adam holding onto Michael and whispering into his hair: "Don't leave me. Don't you ever leave me."


	10. Chapter 10

"Why does my brother hate you?" Adam leans over Michael's shoulder from where he is tentatively grooming all _six - _and really, why does he need that many? - wings after the fight with Raphael. "He says you're a dick. I mean, I get that you tried to bodysnatch him, but still. He's acting like a douche." Michael twists his head to look at Adam quietly. He doesn't speak for a long moment, his wings folding close to his body and slumping slightly. "Because I 'bodysnatched' you. You are his youngest brother. He got you back for a short amount of time before I took you." There is a few minutes of silence while Adam combs through Michael's sensitive wings, trying not to touch too hard. The archangel warned him of how sensitive the skin was before he started.

"That's why Dean hates you?" Michael shrugs and hangs his head in shame. "We didn't start well with him. Angels, I mean." He stops himself as he trips over his words again. "His first experience of an angel was after Castiel had raised him from Perdition. He attempted to talk to Dean, but managed to scare him senseless. He _had _thought that my vessel would be able to withstand his true voice, but he was wrong. That's the reason he took Jimmy Novak as a vessel. And after Castiel blinded the psychic - Pamela? - it didn't improve Dean's view on angels. Gabriel didn't help." Adam's hands still when he sees Michael's wings slump slightly and he crawls around to sit in the archangel's lap. His arms slide around Michael's neck and he buries his face in his shoulder. Michael circles his arms around Adam's waist and rocks the two of them gently, needing the comfort. "Then I tried to take him as a vessel," he continues after a moment, his face pressed into Adam's too-bony shoulder. The blond boy is all sharp angles and bones, his eyes too big in his thin face, and Michael hates it. Wishes there was something he could do, but Adam won't let him. "When that failed, I took you. The brother Dean and Sam had just got back from the dead. That's why Dean dislikes me. In a nutshell, of course. It's much more complex than that." He doesn't say any more, preferring not to go into detail. Adam doesn't speak for a few minutes and Michael glances at him, worried that he is either upset or asleep. He lifts his face from Michael's shoulder to kiss him softly, a small smile playing on his face. "He always told me angels were dicks who didn't give a shit about anything. Guess it _was _true in your case. Now... I'm not so sure. Why _aren't_ you?"

"Because of you." Adam's eyebrows lift fractionally and he stares at Michael. When he first looks, the cool blue eyes betray no emotion, staring back at him, but- _there__. Right there_. A small flicker in Michael's eyes give away his emotions. It's strange. He knows the archangel better than he should. Centuries in the Cage have taught him certain mannerisms of Michael's, and he knows when the archangel is feeling certain emotions. "Because of me, huh?" Michael's eyebrows knit together slightly at the teasing note in Adam's voice. He asks if the blond didn't hear, and Adam bursts out laughing. "Oh, no. I heard. Say it again, though." He moves closer, leaning his forehead against Michael's, and kisses the tip of his nose. "Why aren't you a dick?" Michael sighs, as if he can't believe Adam is making him do this. "Because of you." Adam tackles him and attempts to pin him to the mattress, peppering light kisses over his face and laughing when Michael protests, pushing him off and leaning over to kiss him. The archangel tells him to go to sleep, and he curls against him, pulling the covers up.

Dean had always told him that angels were dicks, not to be trusted with anything. He could see why. Castiel hadn't exactly made a favourable impression on his brothers. Neither had Raphael, Zachariah, or Michael. Lucifer was a given. But Adam had never been able to help but wonder whether Dean was wrong. After all, despite everything Castiel did wrong, he was always the one to help Sam and Dean when everything else failed. Maybe in his own way, he'd been trying to give them space. Michael, too; Adam knew why Michael had tried to persuade Dean to become his vessel. He'd been trying to save his Father's favourite creations from complete destruction. That wasn't to say he didn't go about it like a dick, but each angel had their way of trying to help. Castiel came in at the last minute; Michael did the only thing he knew how to do; he went in, guns blazing, and tried his best to help.

Adam smiles to himself, listening to Michael breathe in the darkness. No, angels aren't all dicks.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Ugh, I'm such a butt for the stupidly long gap between updates. There isn't even an excuse, it was just not writing itself and I had exams to revise for. _But_ to make up for it there is Destiel and Sabriel in here 3**

_It had always been Adam's dream to become a doctor. He wanted to save people, like he hadn't been able to save himself or Kate. But he never thought he'd be able to. It was too far away, his dream, out of reach. There was no way he could afford medical school. Adam had grown up accepting that he was never going to medical school. That's why he went into hunting. Not because he wanted to, although it was how he met Michael, but because it meant he was still saving people - just not in the way he wanted to be._

_That was until he met his brothers. Sam and Dean were real hunters. People who actually wanted to be hunting; following in John's footsteps. He wouldn't say they really enjoyed hunting, but they were certainly good at it. More than anything, they were determined. When Adam confessed that he wanted to be a doctor, Sam started thinking. With Castiel and Gabriel's help, he spoke to Dean about putting Adam through medical school. Gabriel could come up with the money easily. It wasn't like they'd have to empty their multiple accounts."You'll be the only Winchester who actually made something of himself," Dean had told Adam when he and Sam had got him a place at a school. His words make Adam swear to himself that he won't let them down. He will go to medical school and he will graduate, and he will not mess it up like he has everything else._

_His brothers' determination, and his own determination to prove that he can do it, gets Adam into his final year of medical school. He spends months studying for his finals, and Michael worries about him. He isn't sleeping, and he only eats when he is reminded. He is too set on his goal to actually make something of his life._

The work Adam does pays off eventually, and he graduates well. He practically hears Michael relax when he finds out his marks, knowing that he'll stop working himself to death now; but he's too busy dancing round the house and hugging his brothers, despite Dean's protests. Sam just laughs and ruffles his hair, and he smacks him round the head lightly, complaining that: "I'm a doctor, you can't do that!" His brother holds his hands up with a teasing apology, and Adam hits him again before almost falling over his feet on the way out of the room to find Michael.

Getting through the graduation ceremony proves the weirdest thing Adam has ever had to do. Michael, Castiel, Gabriel, Sam _and_ Dean all go. Castiel manages to scare some girls from Adam's class by literally just appearing _right in front of them_ just as they start flirting with Dean, and sticking to him for the rest of the ceremony. Not that Dean looks like he minds all that much, Adam notes wryly. His eldest brother keeps his fingers linked with Castiel's the whole time after that incident. When they sit down, he sees Dean move his chair closer to the angel's, and Castiel leans slightly into him.

Gabriel stays with Sam as well, but it's very different to Castiel's silent, subdued presence. He keeps his fingers linked with the hunter's, casually sending waves of hatred towards any girl, or boy, who tries to even talk to him. Occasionally Sam gives him a long-suffering look, and he smiles innocently. Adam notices that every time Gabriel smiles, it makes Sam smile as well.

Adam has to make a speech in front of everyone from his class. It's not the worst thing he has done, being probably the only one below about 25 (no one is exactly sure of his age. He was 19 when he died the first time, but then he was resurrected, so does that make him in his twenties? It took weeks before they finally decided, with Bobby's help, that he was 20 when he was pulled out of the Cage by Michael, and that he didn't age while he was dead) who has been to Hell, let alone been stuck in Lucifer's Cage with two furious archangels. But all the same, he doesn't like speaking in front of people, and this is no exception. Michael's eyes shine as he watches Adam, his wings fluttering slightly so that the people sitting behind him get a sudden cold breeze and are left wondering what just happened.

When the ceremony is finally over, Adam finds Michael, talking quietly with the other angels in Enochian. Gabriel is the first one to see him, and he high-fives him with a bright grin. Castiel nods quietly at him, opening his mouth, before Dean comes up behind him and snakes his arms around the angel's waist, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, and whatever he was going to say is forgotten. Gabriel rolls his eyes with a fake retching sound, and saunters away to find Sam. He corners the middle Winchester, sitting and talking to one of Adam's former classmates. Sam isn't overly upset when Gabriel slides onto his lap and kisses him senseless, but the girl's eyes widen and she leaves hurriedly.

The oldest archangel in existence stands, staring awkwardly at the floor for a moment. When Adam catches sight of him, his eyes soften as he watches him for a moment. Michael lifts his chin, shoving his hands into his pockets, and glances quickly around, trying to feign nonchalance. He waits for Adam, humming an Enochian song quietly to himself. The looks he is getting – everyone knows he came here with Adam Milligan and his two gay brothers – make his hands curl dangerously in his pockets, but he knows Adam will be furious if he does anything.

The blond watches him for a little while longer before deciding to take pity on him. "Michael!" The archangel swings around and his face breaks into a relieved smile as Adam flies at him. There's a small noise of surprise (that Michael will never admit to) when the boy jumps on him and wraps his legs around his waist, but he doesn't mind. The press of gentle kisses over his face more than makes up for surprising him, despite the open-mouthed stares of what seems like Adam's entire class. Being Adam, he told none of them about his boyfriend, so this is something entirely new to them.

Dean and Sam don't know about Michael and Adam's relationship. It's not like either of them have hidden it. They've acted exactly the same when Adam's brothers are in the room - or Michael's, although doubtless they already know - but somehow, the two of them never noticed. The first they hear of their youngest brother dating the oldest archangel ever is when a girl next to Dean turns to her friend and says, "Oh my God, have you seen Adam and his boyfriend?" Her friend promptly replies with, "I know, right? Best looking couple ever."

Dean gags and disappears, snagging Sam, and Gabriel by default, on the way. Sure enough, there's Adam and Michael. A group of girls are standing nearby, taking photos and trying, _trying_, to be subtle about it. Although what's subtle about pretending to text while really taking a photo, Dean will never understand. "Cas, he- and Michael-" he stutters, and his angel rolls his eyes, something he _definitely_ never used to do. "Yes, Dean. Adam and Michael." Sam makes a face and Gabriel prods him. "Don't be a butt, Samsquatch. He's following in his brothers' footsteps. Duh."

Dean wrinkles his nose when Adam and Michael finally break away, and Adam leans his forehead against Michael's, still clinging to him. He had no idea his brother could hold his breath for that long. Dimly, he thinks what else it could be used for, and he _really didn't need that mental image, Jesus Christ_. Castiel smiles slightly, watching his brother and Dean's brother, and Dean can't help but catch his angel's hand and squeeze it gently.

Gabriel and Sam share a quick glance. No one will know what passed between them in that glance, but it makes Sam flush and Gabriel laugh. To shut him up, Sam leans down and kisses him quickly. It's not an uncomfortable stretch, but Gabriel leans up on tiptoes all the same. The archangel pouts when Sam pulls away, his arms snaking around the hunter, and Sam rests his cheek on the top of Gabriel's hair.

Adam's started to appreciate just how beautiful Michael is, though the archangel shakes his head whenever he mentions it, and tells him he's the one who is beautiful. Like Adam really believes that. Michael's arms support Adam easily, the blond's hands cupping the archangel's face gently. The two of them are lost in each other. There is no other way to describe it. They have fallen hard and fast, and everyone around them can see it.

And all the Winchesters have an angel.


End file.
